The Living Without Series

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The Chicken Doctor

The Architect

I’m ripe for the pickin’

It’s late Tuesday afternoon and I have not taken a shower since Sunday morning.

RIPE would be the word I’d choose to describe my flavor.

Our well pump decided to cease and desist over the weekend, but I was able to eek out a miserable shower on Sunday that caused me much anger at my family because I swore they were flushing toilets and running all the faucets which left me with a trickle of water that was scorching the part in my scalp, when in reality it was just the pump heaving its last breath.

The well pump fixer guys came out yesterday and got us back up and running, so I let all my kids take showers and put mine off until this morning.

This morning, NO FRICKIN’ WATER!!

I called our friendly well pump fixer guys and they were already on a job, so they weren’t able to get out to my house until just before 4:00 this afternoon.Water is such a precious commodity. I never think about how much I use it until I don’t have it pouring out of my faucets.My kitchen looks a lot like that picture up there. I’m not kidding. I can’t wash a dish or wipe a counter. It’s strange how paralyzed I feel without running water.

I found a box of baby wipes that we never used and I’ve been ‘washing’ sticky hands and faces with them. Good Lord my boys are so messy! They usually look pretty rough at the end of the day just from their normal shenanigans of playing and eating, but if I wasn’t able to wipe them down a bit they would look….

like this. Dear me. The ear wax says it all.

Oh, and to add insult to injury, I broke my vacuum cleaner yesterday. No water, no vacuum cleaner, I’m practically a cave woman.

We’ve depended on a pump to deliver water to our house for over 40 years, so I feel your pain. We’re overdue for a new pump here; I only pray that whenever it decides to quit, it will be in warm weather.

Three houses get water from our well.

When people say how lucky we are to have no water bill, I tell them how much it costs to install a new water pump.

Okay, I’m apparently a total whiner because I’ve been complaining about a lack of a kitchen sink. We’re having new counters put in, and we mixed up the install dates…(we meaning my hubby, but I’m not pointing fingers here!) We tore out our old ones Sunday, but instead of March 2, the install date is March 9! Working in a kitchen with no sink and no counters is such a pain…But at least we have water!

I know what yer goin’ thru.. LOL I go w/ out water more then I have water… most of us here do… It sucks to have to melt ice.. I joke about using water to flush instead of washing my hair.. But its the truth… The list of important changes, when ya haul water or snow! Hang in there!

Oh that stinks! (The water pump situation, not you:o)) Between having to pay to replace a pump now and then and all the softener salt, I’m not sure how much we save. I am thankful for running water of any kind, though. Just think, if you lived in Kansas 100 years ago, you’d go even longer between baths.

My mom does like Melody and saves empty soda bottles full of water. If you lived closer, I would gladly go break into her house and haul her entire supply over to your house. It’s gone past the point of being a good idea to being ridiculous and not allowing her enough space. She has a tiny two-bedroom bungalow with enough water stored for the neighborhood. I know I could probably tell her that she’s behaving like her mother and that would bring her to her senses, but it seems a little too cruel too.

Put me in the pump house too. I used to get so mad at my kids cause we have a very slow well. We pump into a holding tank. The kids would go through the tank and leave me with sand. You can get clean it you just look dirty.

EEEEEWWWWW you are stinky. Um have you thought of visiting your sister and using her shower? It is hard not to have water. I thank GOD for wipes! Actually yhey are pretty good for a spit shine wash up for grown ups too.I hope this gets resolved for you soon. I totally understand the flushing toilets getting mad thing. Sounds like my house every sunday morning. I usually get the last shower and have to rinse in cold water. 2 teenagers.

I hear ya girl. Our water was out for 2 days last week cause our wonderful small town folk that work for the city busted up the pipe in three different spots from digging. You think they would know where their own pipes are since they work for the water department. They even had to delay starting school and let out early on the same day because of it.

My husband said he would rather live without electricty than water so we could at least flush the toilets. He forgot we have an arobic system though, and that runs on not only water, but electricity too. We were screwed either way!

Hope you get it fixed soon. I know how hard it is to sleep with prickly legs and greasy hair. Just remember, always take you shower first. That’s what I do. Good luck!

The first farm that my parents bought just after wwII didn’t have a kitchen sink. The first profit they made from the farm – they installed a kitchen sink with running water. It came from the pond out back.I appreciate running water.

We lived in Jamaica for a year and a half. The water and the power would go out at any time with no warning and no idea when it would return. We did the plastic bottle thing and learned to take baths out of a pot. Wipes are wonderful for kids. As long as I have water in bottles, I would rather have no water than no power any day. At least with power I can stay cool and not sweat!

When we first moved here I wasn’t used to having a water bill every month. One month I forgot to pay it and when we got home from work there was no water. It was too late to have them reconnect it that night so we went without. I was so freaked out; I now pay the water bill the day it comes in the mail. When I don’t feel like taking a shower in the winter when it’s cold (yes, I’m gross), I take what I call a “bird bath” – washing key elements using only the bathroom sink and a washcloth. It works!

I feel your pain…twice last year we had water problems…our cistern ran dry then the pump went out…had to bucket water…UGH!!Our friends all have “city” water and cannot understand why we don’t hook up…mostly DH saving $$$$…but when we’re out I’d rather pay the bill

Oh, that stinks. I have lived that. Twice, last summer. Both times, I thought, “Oh, I’ll take a shower tomorrow.” and the next day– no water. The first time because the power went out (for 4 days) and the next time the well pump took a dump (also for several days).

I’m so sorry! I really feel your pain. My washer, dryer and vacuum all crapped out in the same week! In the middle of the aisle at Sears (when my husband said I’m not paying 400.00 for a vacuum) I started to sob, “You don’t understand! I’m only half a woman without my vacuum!” I have a pathetic life

That is so true, how we don’t realize how precious it is till we don’t have it! I was at my sisters house when her pump gave out and even though I knew there was no water I kept on turning on the faucet…just out of habit. Duh!

You have had more than your share of stuff go wrong this winter! Didn’t you go without heat too?